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Roberto Garcia, 16, a junior at Arlington High School, was killed while trying to walk across the 91 Freeway in Riverside late Monday, March 23, 2015.

Karla Virgil-Quiroz, a teacher of Roberto's , holds a banner that many students signed at Arlington High in memory, on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. A 16-year-old Arlington High student was struck and killed while walking on the 91 Freeway late Monday.

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Danielle Salcido, a teacher of Roberto's, talks of him after school at Arlington High, on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. A 16-year-old Arlington High student was struck and killed while walking on the 91 Freeway late Monday.

Part of memories on a banner that many students signed at Arlington High on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. A 16-year-old Arlington High student was struck and killed while walking on the 91 Freeway late Monday.

Arlington High School students wrote messages on a banner Tuesday to remember 16-year-old Roberto Garcia, who died Monday in a vehicle v. pedestrian accident Monday.

Classmates of Arlington High School junior Roberto Garcia wrote messages Tuesday to remember the 16-year-old. Garcia died Monday night after walking onto the 91 Freeway near Tyler mall.

Sixteen-year-old Roberto Garcia, who died Monday after getting hit by a car, was remembered by his classmates Tuesday. Several Arlington High School students wrote messages on a banner to be sent to Garcia's family.

One seat remained empty Tuesday in Arlington High School teacher Karla Virgil’s pre-calculus class.

That seat belonged to 16-year-old Roberto Garcia, an A-student who was hit by a car and killed late Monday on the 91 Freeway in Riverside.

A CHP spokesman said Garcia had argued with a friend in the Galleria at Tyler parking lot and tried to cross the freeway. He declined to elaborate about what led up to Garcia’s death, but said it did not appear to be a suicide.

“I will miss him a lot,” Virgil said. “Not just in my class but in my heart.”

Virgil said the junior honors student was highly intelligent, and dedicated to his work. Garcia would often stay after class for one-on-one tutoring, and other students in the class would try to team up with him for group assignments.

“He was very sought-after,” Virgil said. “The other kids wanted to be in his group because they knew he was a high-level kid, even though he wouldn’t talk much about it.”

Garcia’s honors physics teacher, Danielle Salcido, said he was well-liked by his fellow students and a pleasure to have in class. Salcido, speaking on behalf of her students, said the experience of losing Garcia has been “surreal.”

“It happens like a cascade,” she said. “All of a sudden you see their spot on (the school’s registration system) as ‘inactive’ and their classes already dropped. Then you have to take their picture off of your seating chart. It’s like the person is being slowly erased.

“You feel their absence and you know that the reason that seat is not filled is because they’re no longer anywhere on Earth.”

Both Virgil and Salcido saw Garcia in class Monday, a typical day.

That night, after the argument outside the mall, Garcia ran from the parking lot to the 91 Freeway, California Highway Patrol Officer Travis Monks said.

A continuous 5-foot fence atop a foot-high embankment separates the mall from the freeway.

Garcia accessed the freeway, ran across the westbound lanes, over the center divider and almost made it past the eastbound lanes when he was hit by a white 2013 Mercedes driven by 38-year-old John Martinez about 10:05 p.m., Monks said.

The impact caused Garcia’s body to go through the windshield. Martinez’s 13-year-old son, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suffered minor injuries, Monks said.

Martinez called 911, and emergency medical services responded. Garcia, whose body was lying at the top of the onramp from Tyler Street, was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:14 p.m., the Riverside County Coroner’s Office said.

Martinez and his son were taken via ambulance to the hospital, where the son was treated.

Monks said Garcia was hit by just one car. Early Tuesday, the Riverside Fire Department had said based on witness reports that Garcia may have been hit by 20-30 vehicles.

A SigAlert was issued and the onramp and two lanes were closed during the crash investigation, authorities said.

Arlington High School Principal Betsy Schmechel said a crisis team and counselors from other schools in the district were brought in Tuesday to talk to students and faculty members seeking help.

“Students have been taking advantage of it,” she said mid-day Tuesday. “A lot of students have been coming up and talking with counselors, some are coming up in small groups.”

School officials plan to host a vigil for Garcia, Schmechel said, but only with the Garcia family’s blessing.

Salcido, the physics teacher, said although students and faculty are distraught in the wake of Garcia’s death, it’s important for them to remember the teen for his personality.

“I’d like everyone to remember Roberto as the sassy character that he was,” Salcido said. “It’s important to remember the bright sides of (Garcia) through all this sadness.”